Football: Shaun Harvey defends FFP punishments as clubs continue to break the rules

QPR, Bournemouth and Leicester have all been fined for breaching regulations while Birmingham are currently under a transfer embargo after failing to meet FFP rules.

Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Bolton and Blackburn have suffered a similar punishment to Blues since FFP was introduced seven years ago.

Aston Villa also still need to find £40million to comply despite a takeover this month.

“I certainly think QPR have taken it seriously enough and I think Leicester and Bournemouth - whatever your view is on the settlements reached - it is money they would much rather have done something else with than pay it to the EFL,” said Harvey, ahead of the start of the new season this weekend.

“There is a seriousness. The big challenge we have got in the next six months is to communicate really clearly what can and cannot take place by clubs that breach these rules.

“The EFL has not lost a club to administration in over five years now. Coventry were the last one.

“There is no doubt in the Championship in particular a lot of the clubs survive purely on the basis of owner funding. The vast majority are all making a loss.

“The level of the loss changes. What we have to be really careful about is making sure the owners of the clubs keep funding it.”

Championship clubs are allowed to lose an average of £13m a season.

QPR reached a settlement worth almost £42million with the EFL and accepted a transfer ban for January last week having overspent in 2013-14.

Bournemouth previously agreed to pay £4.75million for breaching FFP regulations when they were promoted in 2015 while Leicester paid £3.1million in February after they made a £21million loss in 2013-14.

Birmingham have been under a transfer embargo since July 1 after breaching FFP rules and face a race against time to resolve the issue before next Thursday’s transfer deadline.

Harvey said: “The club are fully aware of the situation. We are working with them trying to resolve how they are able to sign players going forward for the new season.

“The important word is ‘register’ players which is a more appropriate phrase. Long before August 9 and deadline day I imagine the position will be resolved and the relevant club will know what it can and can’t do.

“The EFL is not about restricting clubs’ activity. We want clubs to be strong and we want them to be vibrant and want clubs to be strong. Clubs not being able to sign players they would like to sign is not good for the EFL.”